The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 610 Offices (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) across China have established countless brainwashing centres to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. Ms. Wang Yijin from Chongming County of Shanghai was forced to undergo mental torture for 87 days at the Qingpu Brainwashing Centre, which is typical of the many brainwashing centres across China.

Ms. Wang was divorced in 1996 due to domestic violence. Afterward, she became a single mother raising her child alone. She rented a place in Shanghai and worked as a baby-sitter, waitress, and salesperson to earn a living. Ms. Wang started practising Falun Gong in February 1999.

Arrested and Detained at a Brainwashing Centre

After the persecution of Falun Gong began, in May 2002, Wang Yijin was arrested at home because her ex-husband reported her to the local authorities. She was detained for 37 days at the Penglai Street Detention Centre in Huangpu District.

During the period of the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, officials from the Chongming County 610 Office and the local neighbourhood committee were searching for Ms. Wang. They tried threatening her 85-year-old grandfather and her daughter. When the 610 Office authorities talked to Ms. Wang on the phone, they “guaranteed” that they just wanted to talk to her in person and would not arrest her. However, in the afternoon on April 13th when they met Ms. Wang at Shanghai Wantiguan Stadium, seven officers forced her into a vehicle and took her to the Qingpu Law Enforcement School of Shanghai, which is actually a brainwashing centre.

Torture Methods at the Brainwashing Centre

The Qingpu Brainwashing Centre is a four story building located at 7936 Waiqingsong Road at the foot of Sheshan Hill in Qingpu District of Shanghai. The place is heavily guarded, and one has to go through four different gates to get inside. The building is equipped with numerous surveillance cameras and all the doors and windows are equipped with metal bars. The hallway walls are covered with propaganda pictures defaming Falun Gong. On the first floor facing the entrance gate is the main office. There are many classrooms where Falun Gong practitioners are forced to undergo brainwashing. On the second floor and above, are the cells in which practitioners are detained. Each cell is about 15 square metres (about 150 square feet) and is equipped with three beds, a TV set, a DVD player for playing videos defaming Falun Gong, and a bench. Posted on the walls are the six regulations and rules for the daily schedule. Two temporary government officials (who are hired and trained specifically for the brainwashing centre) are assigned to each cell, and they are required to follow and monitor practitioners' daily activities around the clock, including when they go to the toilet. These temps are not allowed to leave the cells. During brainwashing sessions, no one is allowed to leave their seat.

Usually, the dozen or so Falun Gong practitioners who are detained there are forced to participate during each brainwashing session. Practitioners are not allowed to speak to each other. Every morning, everybody has to get up by 6:30 a.m. and do morning calisthenics. After a long day of brainwashing, everybody goes to bed at 10:00 p.m. During the day, practitioners are forced to watch videos defaming Falun Gong. In order to “transform” [forcibly renounce Falun Gong] Ms. Wang Yijin, the authorities used various tactics and anything they could think of. They threatened that if she would not write the statements as they demanded, they would arrest her mother. Ms. Wang refused to obey their demands.

On May 1st, Ms. Wang was notified by the authorities that she was not allowed to go home. According to Shen Chao, director of the Chongming County 610 Office, “It is for protecting your safety during the World Expo period.”

During the 87 days of torture at the brainwashing centre, Ms. Wang once suffered a heart attack, which had never happened before in her life, and was sent to the Qingpu Central Hospital for emergency treatment. As she left the brainwashing centre, the authorities told her to sign a so-called Law Enforcement School Graduation Certificate. An official with the surname Liu told her, “Sign it. We won't let you go unless you do,” but Ms. Wang refused. Then the authorities told her to recite an oath in front of the CCP flag, which she also refused to do.

Later, the authorities forced Ms. Wang to write a guarantee that she would keep her mobile phone on 24 hours a day, so that they could reach her any time they wanted.

Ms. Wang has lost her jobs due to the persecution and she is not able to afford to pay her rent. So she had to move in with her mother. Personnel from the Chongming County 610 Office and the local neighbourhood committee still continue to go to her new residence and harass her.